Leonard Mambo Mbotela's Brother Reveals Cause of Death, Last Days

His family has now shared the details of his final days, his values, and how they would love him to be remembered.

The Final Days of a Broadcasting Legend

In an emotional interview, Donald Mbotela, Leonard’s younger brother, revealed that the veteran journalist had been battling pneumonia and low blood pressure in the weeks leading up to his death.

"He had pneumonia and low blood pressure. The doctors also said that his age contributed to his death because he was 85 years old," Donald explained.

Donald had been taking care of his brother in Nairobi before returning to Mombasa earlier in the week when Leonard appeared to be improving. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse.

"We knew that Leonard had been unwell for about three weeks. I traveled to Nairobi to help take care of him and watch over him. He would improve at times and then deteriorate again. But when he seemed to be getting better on Monday this week, I decided to return to Mombasa to attend to my duties. On Thursday evening, we received news that he was feeling unwell again while still in the hospital. Then this morning, at around 9 am, we got a call from Nairobi informing us that our brother had passed away."

The news of his death came as a shock to the family, as they had been optimistic about his recovery.

"We did not expect him to leave us. It was a shock because we thought he was recovering, only for his condition to worsen and take him from us."

The Values That Defined His Life and Career

Leonard's values were deeply embedded in his iconic radio show, Jee Huu Ni Ungwana?, where he called out bad behavior and encouraged ethical living.

"I remember my brother as someone who valued discipline very much. Even when we were young, he always taught us to be disciplined. He never liked seeing people misbehave or mistreat others. That is why he created the program Jee Huu Ni Ungwana? It was born from that principle. If he saw someone doing something wrong, he would call them out, correct them, or advise them. If you went to him with a problem, he would guide you, and by the time you left, you would feel completely at peace."

His love for journalism began at a young age, as Donald recalled.

"Since childhood, he used to take books and pretend it was a microphone; he would anchor the news with it. He was used to that habit, and the teachers would beat him up, but Leonard would still go on. He did not want anything else apart from journalism."

A Lasting Legacy

Mbotela’s impact on Kenya’s media industry is undeniable, and even in his final years, he expressed a desire for his legacy to be honored.

In a resurfaced video clip, he spoke passionately about how he would like to be remembered.

*"I would like the government to remember me even if it will not give me a job. But it can remember me in another way. Let there be a memorial of my life, my work, what I have done so that the generations to come can learn there was someone known as Leonard Mambo Mbotela who did this and that. I will really appreciate that.

And if possible, I want to be put in the museum so that when people come from overseas, and Kenyans as well, they can see my picture there and read a brief history of who I was and what I did."*